While people in the lowlands and in the cities now are enjoying the first signs of Norwegian spring, I did the opposite. I went to mountains still completely covered in snow. There, I experienced something very spectacular – 3000 reindeer on their way to the summer pastures. It is a long journey, it take days or weeks, and very few people see this spring migration.
These reindeers are owned by 10 families of the sami people, the indigenous people in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. They use the same pastures as their ancestors. They used to be nomads, but don’t live in the mountains full time any more. And since the end of the 1960ties, beginning of -70ties, the snowmobile have been important for doing their work during winter.
When the reindeers reach the summer pastures some time this weekend, it will only be days before the calving begins. That is a period these animals should not be disturbed. There are more photos here.
Magnificent…
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Photos #1 and # 8 are my favorites, but they are all beautiful. And, I believe those reindeers should never be disturbed. 🙂
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Thanks, Randy.
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Agree with you. These reindeers are living like wild animals and should not be disturbed unnecessary.
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Wow, that must have been quite the experience! Great photos!
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Experience; yes! Thanks JM.
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Jag reser till Sverige om ett par veckor, fast inte Lappland, dina bilder fàr mig att längta till Lappland. Underbara helt enkelt!
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Du får ha en fin reise til Sverige, Maria, selv om det ikke blir Lappland…
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Hmmm… Me like. Where is the nearest hotel??? Having a trip to Norway next month. Not that far up, but soth of Bergen. Rosendal.
I once served my duty on Porsangermoen, and was thrilled of it’s nature.
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If you served on Porsangermoen I guess you saw a whole bunch of reindeers all the time, since there are so many up north. Thare are no reindeers in Bergen, for sure, and no reindeer herding in south and western Norway, but you have the wild ones, the last population of the European reindeer. There are many at Hardangervidda National Park and that is not so far from Bergen… Have a nice trip anyway!
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Hi,
Oh my how great is that, it all looks so magnificent especially with the snow as well, this is the first time I have ever seen such a herd of deer, it’s very surreal. 🙂
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It was magnificent, Mags. And quite surreal…yes, thats the way to say it.
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Now that must be the photo opportunity of the year! Great
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That was my photo opportunity for 2012, you are absolutly right, David.
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Fabulous photos!
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Thanks, Anneli.
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Beautiful.
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Thanks, Garnichgeek.
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Wao, looks grand. Great photos.
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Thanks a lot, Yoshizen.
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“Whow” !!!
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Thanks for wow, Geedebee.
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What an amazing experience Bente. Fabulous photographs. 🙂
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It was amazing to be there, Chillbrook. Thanks.
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Curious…….why do the ten Sami families you mentioned own a herd of 3,000 reindeer? Is there a product other than meat that the reindeer produce? Fantastic photos!
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The own reindeers and live (partly) in the mountains as their ancestors did. I am not sure what you mean; you think 3000 is too much, or too few? Anyway, these days the meat is the commercial product. Before the families used everything, and I really mean everything, nothing was wasted, mainly for their own use but they traded meat and fur for salt, flour and other goods. Today it is normal that one of a couple work outside the herding for the family to make a living, and that is usually the woman.
And, from a herd of about 3000 there are a few bulls, there are young ones, there are probably not many old ones, and it is only the female reindeer that produce calves, that is future meat.
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Thanks for your response! The size of the herd isn’t important to me, I just wanted to know if the reindeer are raised for meat alone, or other products such as hides. I’m guessing they are used primarily for table meat.
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It is the meat that brings cash, Jerry. The hides are also sold, but the price is low as I know it. Before they were used for clothes and all kind of goods, they are also used now.
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Magníficas fotografías
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Muchas gracias, Mercedes.
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Wonderful, beautiful, amazing. How many days did you spend with the Sami? Oh, thank you for such beautiful photographs.
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One day, Sandra, and that day offered a lot of magnificient moments.
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WOW!!!!
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Yes, it was quite a wow, Wildhorse.
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Wow, you really were there, weren´t you? What a beautiful companion…
Thanks for sharing… 🙂
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Yes, I was there, and I am very happy I was. It was a great day.
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I wish I could like this 3,000 times. I especially love the first photo. Spectacular!
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Thanks for your nice comment, Bluelyon.
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Amazing photos, Bente.
I was surprised to see the line formations they move in. I would have thought they would have been scattered at random over the snow. (you learn something new every day on other people’s blogs – one of the best things about the internet).
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There might be many reasons why they often walk in line when going between pastures. I know they save energy that way, by walking in a trail. But the snow was not so bad that day. The sun and temperatures was not enough to make the snow soft and difficult.
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Very cool experience you had. That is amazing.
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Thanks a lot, Seasonsgirl.
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I haven’t seen them like that before… This is amazing and so beautiful dear Bente, but O wonder where is/are Santa Clauses too? Thank you, with my love, nia
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Santa Clause was maybe watching his reindeers, but I am not sure, Nia. Santa was originally from Turkey..?
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Wow! Fabulous shots! Amazing how their internal clocks tell them when and where to go!
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Thanks a lot, Madhu.
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Lovely !!!
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Thanks, Carl.
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That must’ve been a fantastic experience. Great photos. Thank you 🙂
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Yes, fantastic. And thanks.
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Helt, helt underbara bilder! Tycker om både fjäll, snö och renar! Och vilket härligt väder! Vilken upplevelse det måste varit! Ojoj.
Allt gott till dej!
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En kjempeopplevelse, Svorskan, selv om det ikke var første gang. Men aldri her før. Alt godt til deg også!
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Det känns enastående bara att se bilderna! Vilket privilegium! Tur att du var där så jag fick se bilderna!
Allt gott till dej!
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Tur at jeg fikk vist bildene til deg. Tusen takk for kommentaren, og alt godt til deg også!
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Amazing photos and thanks for sharing such a wonderful experience!!!
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Thanks a lot!
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That’s amazing, something I’ve never seen before!
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Thanks, Andy. There are many who have never seen this before, quite a few actually.
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Awesome pictures!!! Love seeing that many reindeer…and cool shots of them….wow:) Norway is incredible:)
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Thanks a lot, Cowgirl.
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Wow, Bente, these are really nice!
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Thanks a lot, Dave.
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Beautifull You are a luky man that you have sin al those rentiers.
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Yes, I was lucky to see all those reindeers. But, Mooie, I am a woman, nor a man… 😉 Bente is a very common female name in Norway and Denmark, maybe also Sweden.
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Sorry Bente than are You a luky woman. I whise You a very nice day. Ineke
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No problem, Mooie!! 😉 Wish you a very nice day!
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What a spectacular shot! I’ve seen pictures of migrating animals in Africa, but never near the Arctic circle..
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And I have never seen migrating animals outside Norway. I guess it was spectacular in Africa too.
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Thanks for sharing this event Bente, and giving an insight into the lives of the reindeer herders. Stunning images!
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Thanks a lot for your comment, Finn.
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You made my day! Thanks for sharing these amazing shots. I feel elated. Must have been such an incredible experience for you. I’m now planning my next holiday to Norway 😉
Love,
Neha
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Thanks for your sweet comment, Neha. You are welcome. 😉
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quite exceptional photos!
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Thanks, Mimo.
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Thias is absolutely amazing !
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Thanks, Karine.
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Fantastiske bilder! I think that reindeer will be arriving on our island in the next week or so. Can’t wait! They are marvelous creatures. And I’m looking forward to taking photos of them when they swim back to the mainland in the Fall! I’m sure it will be an experience of a lifetime.
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Yes, you are in Finmark? Northern Norway is really the place to experience reindeers, since they are “everywere”, contrary to this place. I have seen swimming reindeer herds crossing the sea, it looks a bit frightening in that bad weather and rough sea… but I am sure it is a great experience to see.
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What a spectacular sight! Multitudes of migrating reindeer… amazing! I wonder how many calves will be born?
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I do not know the numer Barbare, especially since there are some bulls and many young ones in the herd. But every grown up female reindeer usually get one calf each, every year. It is still quite a lot of snow and often bad, cold weather when they are born…
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Fantastic photos. The story behind this annual migration is fascinating too.
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Thanks a lot for your comment.
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Hi Bente,
I have nominated you for multiple awards . To find out more about the awards, please visit
http://seasonspoetry.com/2012/04/28/aprils-award-shower/
Ciao, Francina
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I will check this later, Francina. Thanks A LOT!!! 🙂
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Oh I just love your photos and blog.
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Thanks a lot, Karen.
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Aaawww, I’ve hardly ever seen such pictures! Simply wonderful which great animals and countrysides we have on our planet. Great and unique pictures!
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Thanks a lot for your nice comment, Colognelia.
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How interesting. I have never seen such scene. It’s amazing.
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Thanks, Cocomino, it was really amazing to be there.
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So interesting how they follow each other in lines as shown in your first photography. Love herding with snowmobiles. Now that sounds like fun! Hope spring is soon for you.
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A great experience for sure, Bella! No spring at the moment in the high mountains, but it better be soon, so these animals can find some decent food after a tough winter.
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This is good. Thanks for sharing!
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You are very welcome, Tutankhamon.
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Just think, somewhere in that crowd is Rudolph…just waiting for Father Christmas to show up:)
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Yes, Rudolph may be there, but there are many more of his sisters, Maria. 😉
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Thank you so much for coming by and writing a note–that duck was irresistible, wasn’t he? Most of all, I’m pleased you came by because it enabled me to find you. I’ve added you to my good reads list, so I can come visit you in Norway, at least in a cyber-way, from time to time! Thank you again!
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That is great, Susan. Liked your photos a lot, and that means I will see more of them! 🙂
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what a beautiful sight.. wish I could be there to see it in person.. thanks for posting…
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Thanks a lot for your comment, Mayur.
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An amazing sight. What a wonderful thing to witness in person. Thank you so much for sharing this.
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Yes, it was wonderful to bee there. Thanks Rachael.
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A wonderful series of photos. They have an unusual look against the snow and blue sky. I don’t know if its their color or their thick fur, but the stand out nicely. The patterns they make while walking – grouping in lines – is so interesting to see. Thank you for this lovely and interesting post and narrative.
~Anne
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It is easier for them to walk in line, to follow the tracks in the snow. Thanks for your comment, Anne.
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I am flabbergasted! So many deer. Such gorgeous countryside. I am glad you stopped by my blog. It gave me the opportunity to see yours. Thank you. What an amazing life you must have!
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Thanks for your comment, Fabulous. I don’t go there every day though… 😉
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Thank you for visiting my blog… and wow, thank you for the pics on the reindeers… pretty amazing sight, I must say…
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Glad you liked it, Lrong.
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YET AGAIN… a simple WOW….. super pictures, I am sure u would have loved ur decision to move up the mountains, to witness this rare sight. and thank you for caring to put it for all of us !
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Thanks, Indian Eye. Yes I was glad for the opportunity to go to the mountains that day.
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So beautiful pictures and interesting explanation of the events!
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Thanks a lot, Fotomart.
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Well, thanks for visiting my humble blog. I can see You are very close to Walhalla, though :). Have a nice day, everyday.
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Have a nice day too, Richard, every day.
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Thank you so much for following me! I love your photography, you’re very talented! I can’t wait to see more of what you do 🙂
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Thanks, and I will gladly see more of your very talented work.
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When I saw the first photo, my reaction was “Wow”. I like photos 1 and 8 best. Great to see a scene that doesn’t get photographed very often
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Thanks a lot for your comment, Londonlife.
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you live in a truly pristine corner of this big round world (probably chilly, though…)
great imagery here, my friend 🙂
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Thanks, my friend. Different from Rome I guess.
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Remarkable! Just….fantastic! I am in love w/that first shot.
Thank you, thank you for posting these up!!
If it were not for you I would never have seen such an incredible sight, nor even knew one could exist.
~d.
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You a very welcome, thanks for your comment.
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Very, very beautiful, I love it.
Gr. Rardo
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Thanks a lot, Rardo.
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Wow! these are some phenomenally wonderful shots…really enojoyed looking at them today morning 🙂
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Thanks a lot for your comment, Siddhartha.
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Stunning images Bente! The beautiful reindeer, gorgeous white snow and modern day herders on snowmobiles are an amazing sight. Thank you for sharing. Have you thought about submitting your photos to National Geographic… they’re extraordinary captures? http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/adventurers-of-the-year/2012/your-adventure-photos/
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Thanks Thirdhand, I will look at your link..
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Wow! That is amazing the number of reindeer all together. I wonder if Santa forgot to close the gate. haha
Fantastic photos.
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Seems Santo forgot to close the gate, yes Triptracker you might be right! 😉
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Love these photos! Must’ve been an incredible experience seeing the migration!
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Yes, incredible, like the other times I have been on such migration. It is something really special.
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it is an awesome set perfect in report style, really impressive your documentation, compliments
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Thanks a lot, Fabrizio, gracie mille.
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beautiful!
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Thanks, Kaisa.
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Amazing photos… 🙂
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Thanks, Drakenoir.
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It’s an arduous trek when pregnant i would think. I am guessing the reindeer burrow down into tthe snow to find food. Is that right?
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Yes, you are right. The reindeers have to burrow through the snow to find food, they use the forefeet for this. That is why the female reindeer is the only deer animal with antlers, and she have them now, the last part on winter, while the bulls have lost theirs theirs. With the atnlers she can keep the bulls away (but she can let him dig), on the time of year when food is very scarse, and very important for her. It should have been more barren spots now, it is not easy to find food…
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Picture #1 took my breath away – AWESOME! Great blog – looking forward to many more posts (;
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Thanks a lot, Angela, great!
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Amazing.
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wow!!!
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Breathtaking and magnificent panoramas over this white landscape with many reindeer. It must have been a fantastic sight!
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Fantastic is the word, Truels.
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Lovely photographs. Looks pretty cold though!
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Yes, Jane, you have to dress with special clothes going on a trip like that. But then it is not cold, especially since there are no snow storm…
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Just glorious! And breathtaking. Well done, Bente!
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Thanks for visiting my blog.
You have an amazing blog.
I Will return it’s interesting!
What à spectaculair place in Norway and what à beautiful pictures.
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Is reindeer meet OK to eat again since Chernobyl? I remember it was off the menu in Finland for a while because the moss and lichen had absorbed radiation across the Sami region.
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The reindeer meat is ok to eat, at least for you and me. The sami herders eat so lot of this, it is what they eat, so some had to buy from other regions not to get too high becquerel-levels. There is still radioactivity in the nature and therefore also in the meat, but this has been regulated very much and still is, so the meat is safe. The first year after 1986 the sami herders had to waste every slaghtered animals in the most polluted regions, that is thousands and thousands of animals.
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Thanks for the update. I love the idea of travelling with a reindeer herd – just not in the cold and snow 😉
I heard someone talking on the radio a couple of years ago about travelling with reindeer – and one of the phrases I remember him saying was that the herd travelled fast over miles of golden moss. That sounds good to me!
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Absolutely amazing pictures – the sort of thing I usually only see on TV nature programs. Thank you!
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Well, I made it to Helsinki and Turku, but no farther north. Wish I could have seen Lapland. Maybe someday.
I would love to see more photos of the reindeer. I am so glad there are wild lands left in the world. I read “Caribou” and loved it.
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greetings from poland!
nice views 🙂
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